


kissing saves lives

by jnobeano



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, barista hyuck, biker mark, tensionnn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:54:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22541344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jnobeano/pseuds/jnobeano
Summary: it's almost 8:30pm, and donghyuck just wants to go home and sleep. but then a last-minute, mysterious customer pops in, and by the time he leaves, donghyuck's curiosity gets the best of him, and eventually, home is the last thing on his mind.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Na Jaemin/Park Jisung
Comments: 4
Kudos: 126





	kissing saves lives

**Author's Note:**

> this took me way longer than it should've but you know...... it be like that sometimes.
> 
> the editing of this was 100% half-assed, forgive me.
> 
> enjoy ^__^

The cafe is perfectly empty, still smelling like coffee and freshly baked pastries. The lights are dim and yellow above Donghyuck’s head, illuminating his gold skin as he continues to wipe the counter down. Jaemin had left about twenty minutes ago, after Jisung whisked him away wearing dirty soccer gear and a wide grin.

Lifeless, that’s what the cafe is. As he rinses the cloth off and squeezes the remaining water out, Donghyuck peers at the clock’s minute hand that ticks to the 27 minute mark, the hour hand half way between 8 and 9. He sighs and begins untying his apron when the bell that signifies the door opening rings.

“I’m sorry, we’re closed.” He calls out, back to the door as he hangs his apron on the hook by the back door.

But the voice that comes out isn’t apologizing and leaving. It’s biting back, exhaustion deep in it when it snaps, “Actually, you’re not. It’s only,” -the voice pauses, as if checking the time- “eight twenty seven, and you close in three minutes.”

Embarrassment and frustration burns in Donghyuck’s cheeks as he spins round, only to see a guy about his age, staring at him expectantly with leather clad arms crossed over his chest. Clipped onto the right lapel are two pins: one of them being a navy blue logo Donghyuck has never seen before, and the other is a shiny watermelon slice. His jet black hair is put up to expose his forehead and his eyebrows are arched, and Donghyuck thinks about how pretty he looks- and how surprisingly soft that damn watermelon pin seems.

“Whatever.” Donghyuck ends up muttering, moving away from the back door.

“Well?” The guy speaks up again. Donghyuck rolls his eyes as he lifts the barrier that allows him to step out from behind the counter.

“It’s late and I just wanna go home. Don’t you wanna go home?” The boy sighs, almost desperately. “I mean look at the clock, it’s eight twenty eight now and time is running out. Can’t you just come back tomorrow?” He looks into the noiret’s eyes, trying to get the message across, but the eye contact sends chills down his spine, forcing him to look away first.

“I,” the visitor says, stepping closer to Donghyuck, “would like my drink.”

Donghyuck freezes as the rude boy nears him, swallowing before snapping, “Fine.”

He turns and makes his way behind the counter again, not bothering to put an apron on. Donghyuck proceeds to clasp his hands and put on a sickly sweet smile as he asks, “How may I help you?” He can almost see the way the guy suppresses his eye roll but decides to ignore it. “In all honesty, I don’t know why you’re getting a coffee at this time, you do know it’s not good to have caffeine when you’re supposed to slee-”

“A hot chocolate.” The rest of Donghyuck’s sentence gets caught in his throat when he hears the three words. “I would like a hot chocolate, please.” The boy grits his teeth as he forces the words out, red beginning to blossom on his cheeks.

The request is simple, yet Donghyuck finds himself softening as he lifts the marker by the cashier and uncaps it, scribbling ‘HC’ on the side of a paper cup. An impatient cough sounds from the other side of the counter, and whatever softness Donghyuck felt before shatters.

“A hot chocolate it is,” Donghyuck mumbles, awkwardness burning his ears red. He regains his composure in a split second, and deadpans, “Name?”

The customer sighs audibly, and his eyes roll. “I’m the only one here, do you really need a name?”

“Name?” Donghyuck repeats, annoyance bleeding from his tone.

“Seriously?”

“Listen dude, do you want your drink or not?” At this point, the clock is ticking past 31 minutes and Donghyuck is using all his willpower to stop himself from slamming the cup down, getting into his car, and driving home to his oh-so comfortable bed.

“Mark.” The noiret mutters.

“I’m sorry what was that?” Donghyuck knows he doesn’t need the name, but he should be on the way home by now, so he’ll do what he can to annoy the shit out of the guy who stopped him.

“Mark.” He growls, the rumble of his voice sending shivers down Donghyuck’s spine.

“Last name?” Donghyuck summons all the strength in him to not laugh at how pissed off Mark is, and smiles at him expectantly.

“Are you fucking seri-” Donghyuck raises his brows, and Mark pauses in the middle of his sentence, running a tired hand through his hair before letting out a sigh, and softly saying, “Lee. Mark Lee.”

For reasons he doesn’t know, a heavy feeling, _almost_ like guilt, settles on Donghyuck’s heart, just barely. He bites his bottom lip as he watches Mark fiddle with the ends of his jacket sleeves, and writes ‘Mark Lee’ on the cup.

“I’ll be a moment.” The honey haired boy mutters as he turns, not looking to see if Mark moved to sit at a table or not.

As he turns away, he brings the Sharpie with him, and proceeds to add a small message on the pale brown material of the cup.

Eventually Donghyuck’s hands find themselves going through the mindless routine of making a basic hot chocolate, and as he clicks the lid into place, he’s satisfied with the drink in hand.

He turns back to the dimly lit cafe, only to see Mark running his fingers through his black hair, reading something on his phone that seems to be stressing him out.

“Um, Mark Lee?” Unsure of whether he should call the customer by his first or full name, Donghyuck votes for the latter, unsuccessfully capturing his attention. “Mark Lee?” He questions again, but louder, and the boy pops his head up, saving Donghyuck from having to repeat the name.

Wordlessly, Mark leaps out of his seat, sliding gracefully towards the counter, eyes still on his screen. “Thanks.” He mumbles, pulling his wallet out and sifting through it for the appropriate amount of money. Donghyuck can’t help but get distracted as he lets his eyes roam over the perfectly sculpted face of the boy in front of him, and the way his lashes gently brush his fair cheekbones.

When Mark looks up, their eyes meet, but this time with less of the previous tension. Instead, it’s like Mark’s eyes are glass, and Donghyuck can see right through the black eyes of the boy in front of him that something is bothering him. There’s something else in those eyes of his, but before Donghyuck can figure it out, Mark drops the money on the counter, lips stretched into a thin line as he turns to leave after muttering another quick thanks.

Donghyuck blinks as the bell at the door goes again, his unwanted customer disappearing as quickly as he had arrived. Shaking himself out of the stupor, Donghyuck looks at the money on the counter, and realizes with a start that Mark had left a whole twenty dollars too much.

Panicking, he peers quickly at the clock, and sighs before shoving most of the money carelessly into the cashier, and then stuffing the $20 bill in his pocket. With fox-like slickness, Donghyuck locks up the cashier and slides out into the cafe, switching everything off and crashing through the door before locking it up behind him. He looks down the street to see if he can catch Mark, but he doesn’t hold much hope. After all, the boy is wearing black jeans and a leather jacket so-

A low rumble sounds from the opposite side of the street and Donghyuck spies a motorbike with its headlights on, parked right in front of his own car. The lights are aimed towards the road, but they illuminate the rider slightly, and Donghyuck catches a glimpse of the watermelon pin he saw earlier.

As the bike pulls away, Donghyuck waits a few moments before rushing across the street to get to his car. Once he’s in, he pulls the twenty dollars from his pocket and wonders why the hell he’s going to do what he’s about to do. A sudden thought of Mark’s face earlier shifts something inside the boy as he remembers the other look in the biker’s eyes.

_Fear._

So Donghyuck grits his teeth and starts the car, curiosity blinding his logic as he drives after the bike.

…

When Mark pulls over, it’s in front of a normal looking apartment, maybe on the lower side of average. The walls are painted a dirty yellow, oddly textured and peeling in some parts. Donghyuck slows his car down as Mark dips into the building, sipping on his hot chocolate, seemingly unaware of the boy who followed. To be safe, he parks his car at the end of the road, crushing the single piece of plastic in his fist as he makes his way towards the building.

Inside is worse than outside; the lights in the lobby of the building flicker, the place devoid of any life. Donghyuck then sneaks towards a smaller hallway where the elevators seem to be located. To his disappointment, they’re out of order, but he clenches his fist once more, something in him keeping him in the building instead of leaving and going home.

Fortunately, he spies a fire escape near the end of the hallway, and jogs towards it, pushing the heavy door to reveal a brightly lit column of concrete stairs.

“Now, how the fuck am I supposed to know where he went,” He mutters to himself. Still, something tugs him up the stairs, and he proceeds to run up, letting his feet take him.

Around the twelfth flight of stairs, the silence Donghyuck had been running in is interrupted by sounds of thudding footsteps beyond another door. He pauses to catch his breath, reading the bright red sign on the door that read ‘6’, signifying that he had reached the sixth floor.

“Fucks sake Donghyuck.” He whispers to himself, his heart screaming in his chest as he pulls the door open quietly.

The hallway is empty, strips of LED lights revealing dark oak doors along the sides, some closed, whilst some are left slightly ajar. He begins to make his way down the hall, hearing clanging pots from behind some doors, and muffled talk behind others. Despite this, most of the apartments at the other end of the hall are empty and dark.

After taking seven steps, a door creaks near the middle of the hallway, and tentatively, the honey-haired boy makes his way there. As soon as he reaches the door, he peeks in, the darkness suggesting that the apartment is unlived in. Donghyuck can barely see three steps in front of him, and is about to back out when a loud thud comes from the hallway.

Instinct takes hold and Donghyuck rushes into the apartment, pausing with his back against the wall before taking a peek out again.

A large, well-built man as scanning the hallway, eyes narrowed and muscles tense, and Donghyuck fearfully registers the previous thud as a single footstep from the colossal monster trudging from apartment to apartment, seemingly in search of something.

He’s about to step out of the dark again when something wraps around his waist and pulls him back, a cold hand clamping his mouth shut before he can scream.

Panic surges through him as he’s dragged further into the apartment, the door still open. The person dragging him still has a tight grip on him, and Donghyuck has to grab the arm to prevent himself from falling.

_Leather._

Eventually he’s dragged into a bedroom, the blinds over the window allowing slivers of pale light to wash the tiled floor beneath him.

The person holding him smells strongly of vanilla and shea butter, and there’s a hint of chocolate on their breath. Before Donghyuck can even think twice about it, he’s shoved against the wall, eyes struggling to adjust to the dark as a face looms in front of him. He stares into those dark eyes from the cafe before, hands now squeezing his shoulders. He parts his lips to speak but is pressed into the wall as Mark goes to quietly close the bedroom door.

He doesn’t say anything, leaving Donghyuck wondering for the millionth time what the hell he’s doing here. The younger boy stays frozen against the wall, too afraid to talk as the black haired boy stays frozen at the door, turned slightly towards his uninvited guest.

“Why are you here?” Despite all the force from before and the burning frustration Donghyuck felt from his hands, Mark’s voice is soft and lined with fear, as he asks the question. “Who sent you?”

“Sent me?” To his surprise, Donghyuck’s voice is firm and not shaky, even with all the shaking in his bones. “What do you mean ‘sent me’?”

In an instant, Mark is on him, hands slamming against the wall by Donghyuck’s head, making him flinch. The latter swallows hard, the sharp furrow of Mark’s brows and the opacity of his eyes causing him to squirm.

The barista can feel the warmth of Mark’s breath on the bridge of his nose and smell the rich chocolate on it. They stay there for a moment, so close, too close, and even with his eyes closed, Donghyuck can tell that they are close enough for him to just lean forward and-

_Stop._

The thought pauses Donghyuck in his tracks. _Kissing? Really?_

He’ll admit that Mark is hot, but right now? He looks like he wants to kill Donghyuck.

Mark is still looming over him, despite them being the same height. His eyes lose a little bit of their edge and flicker unknowingly to Donghyuck’s parted lips, diverting his focus from the issue at hand.

But only for a moment.

Mark steps back quickly, and starts pacing the room, pinching his lips between his thumb and index finger while he thinks.

Donghyuck decides to stay silent, still frozen at the wall, too afraid to try and move just in case Mark takes a knife to his neck.

_Safety precautions, you know?_

They’re stuck in that loop for what feels like an eternity; Mark going back and forth and back and forth whilst Donghyuck gradually melts into the plaster behind him.

But the loop is cut like a knife through jelly by the front door creaking open.

Mark freezes and Donghyuck lets out a small gasp. Immediately the noiret is by his side, back against the wall as he places one hand on the door handle, and another to his lips, signaling Donghyuck to be quiet. The latter nods, and his mind is sent reeling on what they should do if the man reached them.

Even with his scratched-the-surface knowledge of Mark, he senses that the large man from the hallway is the enemy, and that Mark is so much more than just a guy with a bike.

Before Donghyuck can contemplate the possibility of Mark being the bad guy, he hears the soft squeak of leather shifting as Mark silently opens the door a crack, to survey the situation they’re in. Almost immediately after he opens the door, he shuts it, and Donghyuck takes it as a bad sign.

“He’s in the living room,” Mark whispers, turning to him, “and we have no time to escape.”

Donghyuck’s heart drops.

“So what do you propose?” He whispers back, fear throwing his heart around his chest. “I don’t usually get into these kinds of situations, so I hope you don’t expect anything from me.” The words come out a lot harsher than Donghyuck means them to, but he blames it on the danger on the other side of the door.

“I don’t know….” Mark goes to say his name, realizing he doesn’t actually know it. He sees the boy beside him blink at him, and despite the darkness Mark can see how scared he is.

And he feels for him.

He remembers the first time he got into a situation like this, terrified for his life. But at least he had his brother with him.

This guy?

He barely even knows Mark.

“Take your jacket off.” The words hit Mark like a punch, and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t caught off guard.

“What?” This time he turns his entire body towards the honey haired boy, who bites his bottom lip nervously.

“Just…. take it off.” Mark begins sliding his jacket off of his shoulders when his natural suspicion kicks in.

“Why should I?” His eyes fall into suspecting slits and Donghyuck is forced to grit his teeth to stop him from shouting at him.

“There is a scary guy out there and we have no escape right now. Can you _please_ just listen to me?” To his dismay, Donghyuck’s tone is almost begging, and it sounds pathetic, but what else could it possibly be? He’s terrified for his life right now and the guy who seems to be familiar with this kind of thing has no idea what to do.

“Fine.” The biker finally shrugs his jacket off, and Donghyuck finally feels like they might be okay. He takes the jacket from Mark’s outstretched hand and grips the leather tight, sending Jaemin and Jisung a quick mental ‘I love you’ as he walks towards the window.

“Get in the closet.” He motions for Mark to move, and thankfully, he goes without questioning. Donghyuck peers at the door once more before turning to the window, sliding the frame up, and leaning out.

There is a small ledge outside, and a person like Mark could (probably) easily climb out and use the ledges and window sills to climb down to the ground, if given the time. Despite it all, Donghyuck manages a smile at his luck, and hangs the leather jacket over the sill.

Inside the closet, Mark watches the boy hang his jacket across the white sill through the slits of the door. He bites his lips in hopes that the jacket doesn’t fall down and then watches as the boy, whose name he still does not know, silently makes his way towards the closet where Mark is located.

Mark pushes the closet door slightly to allow Donghyuck to enter when the doorknob turns. Panic flashes through the two of them, and before either can register what is happening, Mark latches onto Donghyuck’s wrist and yanks him in, closing the (thankfully) quiet closet door behind him as the room door creaks open.

The two of them have their bodies facing each other, but their heads are turned to the slits, watching with their hearts in their throats as the burly man surveys the room. Donghyuck’s body is pressed onto Mark’s due to the strength that the latter used to pull him in, and whilst Mark’s eyes are trained on how the burly man is making his way to the window, Donghyuck can only think of how Mark is holding his wrist still, the contact almost burning him. Eventually, Mark realizes, and in a panic, he shoves Donghyuck off quickly, making the boy fall against the wall behind him.

Thuds that soft would usually be ignored, but in a situation like theirs, it sounded like an anvil drop. Both boys turned their heads once again to the man outside, only to see him staring right at the closet door. Without realizing, Donghyuck lets out a small gasp, and soon Mark is on him again, pressing a palm against his mouth as his eyes beg for silence.

Even with Mark’s hand still over his mouth, Donghyuck can still smell the faint scent of vanilla and shea butter off of the boy’s black t-shirt that he’s wearing. The pale moonlight from outside is cut by the panels in the closet door, but at the perfect levels so that Donghyuck can still see the pools of black swirling with glitter under his thick eyelashes.

Mark stares out into the room once more, muttering a string of words under his breath. Donghyuck is almost mesmerized by the way his lips move because of how smooth and oh-so-kissable they look. The mumbling seems like a nervous tick, but Donghyuck’s eyes go wide when he realizes that Mark’s subconscious monologue could land them in some deep shit.

So he does what any guy would do in a very small space with a very pretty boy.

At first, Mark goes completely still when he feels warm lips encapsulate his own. Donghyuck had ripped Mark’s hand from his face and pulled the boy towards him, making the biker lose balance to the point where his entire body was pressed against Donghyuck’s, his hands pushing against the wall for support. Caught up in the comfort of the stranger’s lips, Mark’s eyes flutter shut, allowing a hand cup his jaw as another burns a print on his waist.

Donghyuck works hard to keep Mark there, pressed against his lips, whilst he listens (and prays) for the tell-tale sound of a door being shut. Throughout the somewhat thrilling experience, Donghyuck’s heart races at a million hours a minutes, and he’s unsure whether it’s the fear of being caught or the lips attached to his own.

Mark’s hands find their way to Donghyuck’s waist to steady himself once more and it takes all of the younger’s willpower to swallow down the whimper that almost gives them away. Mark shifts so that Donghyuck’s feet are between his, lips still sliding across the slick ones that taste like honey. Surprisingly, the little makeout is dead silent, despite the blood rushing to their heads and the heavy pants escaping them.

After what feels like either five minutes or an hour, a disappointed grunt is heard from the room, startling both boys from the kiss. Mark pulls back slightly; it’s not far enough for Donghyuck to take a proper look at this face, and he can still smell the chocolate off of his breath. Mark’s eyes flutter shut once more, their hands still on each other as they both listen for any sounds.

Then, the room door is pulled back once more.

The apartment door opens again, and a click can be heard, even from inside the closet.

Mark finally turns to Donghyuck and pulls away further, cheeks tainted red and lips swollen. Donghyuck licks his lips and tastes hot chocolate, the motion sending butterflies swarming in Mark’s stomach. The heat in the cramped space eventually gets too much for Mark, and he pushes the closet door open hastily, stepping out into the room that is blissfully cool, thanks to the open window.

Donghyuck stays frozen against the small wall, in slight disbelief of the move he just pulled. Despite just barely escaping danger, he thinks about the look on Mark’s face: his pink cheeks, thickened lips and sparkling eyes, and manages a tilted smile.

When he steps out of the closet, Mark is just re-entering the bedroom and making his way to the window.

“He left the floor, and I’m gonna take a wild guess that he’s either moved to another floor, or he’s leaving the building.” Donghyuck pauses in front of the open closet as Mark makes his way to the window, lifting his jacket from the sill, steadily avoiding eye contact with Donghyuck. “We should get out of here.”

“Okay.” Warmth still surges through Donghyuck, the memory of Mark ghosting his lips and waist, and it makes his shiver. “Is anything gonna happen to you?”

“Don’t worry.” The biker shrugs his jacket on, finally turning to him. His breath catches in his throat. Mark can see the faint pink blush on the barista’s tanned cheeks, and there are goosebumps rippling down his bare arms.

Not knowing what to say, Donghyuck hums, breaking eye contact with Mark. His vision flitters to the open window, the chill finally seeping through to his bones.

“Let’s go.” Mark mumbles, and soon, the two are making their way towards possible danger past the apartment door.

They make it down to the lobby of the building silently, hearts still racing from the possibility that the man could still be nearby. Eventually, after a lot of hand signals and slick movements, the two make it outside, seemingly safe from the enemy.

“Mark…” The noiret is by his bike, ready to go, when he hears the mention of his name. For reasons unknown to him, the way his name tumbles off of the stranger’s lips sends butterflies speeding through him once more.

Mark tilts his head slightly, a movement that Donghyuck takes as a sign to continue speaking. “What’s going on? I know I probably won’t get an answer but… are you… in danger?”

The innocence of the words lure a small smile from Mark, and he makes his way to Donghyuck. “I’m in danger almost every second of my life. Up there?” -he points to the sixth floor window that they left open- “I live there. Well, not that apartment exactly. But close.”

“How does he know where you live?” Donghyuck is still staring at the window mind spinning possibilities that don’t sound very appealing.

“Enemies.” Is the single word Mark mutters, the close proximity of his voice making Donghyuck spin again. Mark freezes in his spot, quickly changing his gaze from Donghyuck to the window. “I can’t stay here anymore. I’ve got to go tell the rest of....” He trails off, heart skipping a beat as he realized that he was about to say, _‘the gang.’_

“Okay.” Donghyuck mutters under his breath, nodding to himself. He doesn’t want to know what kind of business Mark is in.

But he’s always been a curious person.

“I should… go.” Mark’s words bring Donghyuck back to reality, and he sees the boy staring at him with puppy eyes, and it makes his heart melt. How could someone in a seemingly dangerous occupation be so soft?

“Okay. Thanks for… keeping me safe. I guess.” Donghyuck’s lower lip disappears between his teeth as he turns his head away, and Mark smiles.

“In all honesty, I think I should be thanking you.” They both catch each others eyes again and giggle, despite themselves. “And I can’t believe I kissed you without knowing your name.”

Donghyuck swears his heart skips a beat at the mention of the kiss. But then, a cheeky smile forms on his lips as he says, “ _I’m_ the one that kissed _you_ , Mark Lee.” The two laugh again, and Donghyuck adds, “It’s Donghyuck.”

“Last name?” Mark raises his brow, arms crossing his chest mockingly.

“Lee.” Donghyuck giggles out with a roll of his eyes. “Lee Donghyuck.”

Mark hums with another soft smile, thinking of how pretty that name is.

“Sorry about earlier…. I’m just-”

“Really tired?” Mark almost laughs at Donghyuck’s astonished look. “I know, Donghyuck. I got the message.” Donghyuck is about to speak again when Mark quickly adds, “And thanks for the compliment on my watermelon pin…. my, uh, friends, make fun of it sometimes.”

Donghyuck chuckles a soft ‘no problem’, and the conversation drifts to a stop.

They bask in the silence for a moment, mist curling in front of their lips from the cold night. Donghyuck almost forgets about how cold it is, remembering that he left his coat in the cafe from the rush of leaving.

“Well…” Mark finally starts again, rocking on his feet slightly. Donghyuck smiles to himself, wondering how someone wearing a leather jacket could look so… innocent. “We should go.”

Donghyuck crosses his arms and rubs them, the cold seeping into his bones. “Yeah.” They’re still two feet away from each other, but the distance seems comfortable instead of awkward. “See you around, Mark Lee.”

With that, Donghyuck turns and walks down the road to his car, without another peek back. Mark watches his back as he leaves, his heart sinking at the thought that he might never see Donghyuck again. But then again, it’s better that way. Keep Donghyuck out of danger and fight against the tug in Mark’s heart.

_“See you around, Mark Lee.”_

Mark smiles sadly at the words as he revs his bike, disappearing into the night with the ghost of the kiss still on his lips.


End file.
